A meditation on the hidden layers of the sea, ‘The Water Gave Us Depth’ explores what lies beneath the surface: ecological depth, emotional depth, and the unseen complexity of marine worlds.

Created using the elemental qualities of Sussex Bay seawater, the painting allows the natural behaviour of water itself to shape the work. Sweeping currents, submerged textures and shifting light evoke movement through deep water, where visibility softens and forms dissolve into something vast and unknowable.

Embedded within the piece is ghost gear recovered from the sea: abandoned fishing materials once drifting unseen beneath the surface. Incorporated into the painting, these fragments speak to both the beauty and vulnerability of marine environments, reminding us that depth can hold abundance, mystery, and damage in equal measure.

Emerging from audience reflections gathered during a previous exhibition, The Water Gave Us: Depth asks what the sea gives us beyond the visible: perspective, feeling, complexity, and a deeper awareness of our connection to the living ocean.